I have not read the entire thread, as I came in a bit late.Maybe this has already been mentioned.
Besides the obvious quality of the kit being used, my limited experience has taught me a few things...
I usually DS with a 1/2 oz head and a 5" jerk shad in the surf when I am down at the coast, and I have found that some of the most important 'distance' factors are:
bait setup: If the bait is not hooked correctly - ie straight and in the best position through the bait for weight distribution, it spins wildly through the air, and you lose substantial distance. If my bait does not fly 'head first' through the air, I adjust it. If it 'swims' badly through the air, it will do so in the water as well.
timing: use the 'sweet spot' of the rod. Just like ball sports, (I think) the rod has a sweet spot where if you try too hard, you lose power. Find that sweet spot... leader length, point of release etc.
fatigue: If you find you are not putting the bait where you want it, get out of the water for a while. While bass fishing is usually done in still, peaceful settings, and you need to drop the lure 'onto a saucer', fatigue is accelerated at the coast - and fatigue affects timing, and timing equals distance.
My 2c.
Edit:
Forgot to add LINE MAINTENANCE!
I don't fish as often as I would like, but I untwist and straighten the line each time before I fish.
I attach a swivel to the end, and hook it up to a fixed point. I then walk the 'working portion plus a bit' out and slowly rewind it with a reasonable amount of tensionto get a nice even load on the spool, while allowing the swivel to rotate. I find, esp. with braid, that those irritating 'twist knots' are substantially reduced, esp. when casting into the wind.
Besides the obvious quality of the kit being used, my limited experience has taught me a few things...
I usually DS with a 1/2 oz head and a 5" jerk shad in the surf when I am down at the coast, and I have found that some of the most important 'distance' factors are:
bait setup: If the bait is not hooked correctly - ie straight and in the best position through the bait for weight distribution, it spins wildly through the air, and you lose substantial distance. If my bait does not fly 'head first' through the air, I adjust it. If it 'swims' badly through the air, it will do so in the water as well.
timing: use the 'sweet spot' of the rod. Just like ball sports, (I think) the rod has a sweet spot where if you try too hard, you lose power. Find that sweet spot... leader length, point of release etc.
fatigue: If you find you are not putting the bait where you want it, get out of the water for a while. While bass fishing is usually done in still, peaceful settings, and you need to drop the lure 'onto a saucer', fatigue is accelerated at the coast - and fatigue affects timing, and timing equals distance.
My 2c.
Edit:
Forgot to add LINE MAINTENANCE!
I don't fish as often as I would like, but I untwist and straighten the line each time before I fish.
I attach a swivel to the end, and hook it up to a fixed point. I then walk the 'working portion plus a bit' out and slowly rewind it with a reasonable amount of tensionto get a nice even load on the spool, while allowing the swivel to rotate. I find, esp. with braid, that those irritating 'twist knots' are substantially reduced, esp. when casting into the wind.